A Quiet Night
by James R. O'Neill
Summary: A short story I wrote about a year ago. Short and Sweet. KrystalxFox


**Since I'm a little short on inspiration, I've typed up a short story I did last year. It is not canon to my other stories. It's short but sweet. There are some details that are off, because I didn't have the heart to change it. Apologies. Enjoy!**

The room was quiet. Still, peaceful, and serene, like someone had cast a spell upon it. The only light came from the viewports semi-closed blinds and spilled out onto the soft blue bed like glistening rivers joining together into a large lake. The sounds of breathing were barely audible, and the two foxes slept comfortably, their tails twined together.

The male's hand lay on the vixen's abdomen, clutching it slightly, as if trying to shield it from unknown dangers. It was a position it had taken up many a night in the last few months, ever since he had received the news about his mate's "delicate condition." He had been the way most male's were at the news, and had done everything and more to honor his wedding vows, in his mate's "time of need." And when the vixen's time finally came, he had been more proud than most fathers of the new life they had brought into the galaxy.

The vixen had just been glad to have it over with, but, while proud and _very_ protective of her kit, was not looking forward to the sleepless nights of feeding, burping, and changing it. She had had high hopes for a peaceful night of uninterrupted slumber with her mate, but it wasn't meant to be.

The silence was broken by a soft wail from the next room. One of the vixen's ears twitched slightly, and she nestled more fervently into the curve of her mate's body, willing the noise to stop. But the cries just kept calling more insistently to her, and she grimaced. Her mate's ear twitched too, and he began to stir.

She grudgingly unwound her tail from his, and slid a delicate finger across the back of her mate's hand, tickling it affectionately. Taking her hint, the male rolled over to free her from his embrace. The vixen sat up, stretched, and yawned, knowing her window of sweet, silent slumber to be at an end. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and slid effortlessly out from beneath the warm sheets of her cozy haven. She shivered from cold underneath her paper-thin pajamas, and crossed the room to take shelter inside her silky, periwinkle-blue bathrobe. She wrapped it tightly around herself, clinging to every scrap of warmth she could get out of it, and hugging the fabric to her, as if she were trying to squeeze more precious heat from it's tightly woven threads.

When at last she felt warm enough, the vixen walked quickly into the dimly lit room where her kit slept. It balled heartily as she tenderly drew it up into her arms. The vixen held the pup close to her, cooing to it in a tune her mother had once sang her to sleep with a long time ago. As she sang, the vixen swayed along with the tune, tail twitching now and again as she danced along to the haunting melodies. After a time, the cub's crying slackened, and became a soft cooing, almost in tune with the song. It's eyes flickered sleepily, then closed, and the cooing stopped.

Finishing her song, the vixen gently laid the pup back down into its crib, and replaced the blanket atop its still form. She took a step back from the crib and placed a hand to her cheek, surveying the tiny creature. Its fur was of an orangish color, like its father, except for a single lock of blue hair, a trait which was obviously passed down from the mother. Though she could not see them, the vixen could almost feel the tiny jade-green eyes of her offspring staring through the closed eyelids back at her. The vixen wondered what her child would be like late in its life. A female, in this galaxy of opportunity anything was possible. She worried about what kind of parents they'd be, Fox and her. She thought of her mother, and how she'd feel if she were alive to see her now. But as she pondered these things, she began to feel sleepy again.

Yawning, the vixen slowly trudged back into her own room, replaced her robe in the closet, and climbed gratefully back into bed. Feeling her return, Fox rolled over and resumed his position by her side, draping his hand once again over her stomach. She kissed him softly, and placed her hand over his. She stared at the blank wall across from her, and thought of what tomorrow might hold for her and her new family, and came to the conclusion that tomorrow could worry about itself. And, closing the same jade-green eyes as her daughter, Krystal slept.

**Leave a review. Pretty short. 3 pages of note paper translates into only 1 1/4 pages of typing. Huh.**


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